Why did my gingerbread waffles come out soft instead of crisp?

Almost always the holding, not the batter. Waffles stacked or covered while the batch finishes steam themselves soft. Hold them in a single layer on a wire rack in a 200 degree oven, and cook each one until the steam from the iron slows to a wisp before opening the lid.

Can I make the batter the night before?

Mostly. Mix the dry ingredients and the yolk, buttermilk and molasses mixture the night before and refrigerate them separately. In the morning, beat the egg whites fresh, combine everything and fold the whites in last. Whites whipped ahead lose their air and the waffles lose their lift.

How do I freeze and reheat these waffles?

Cool them completely on a rack, freeze flat in a single layer, then bag for up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen in a toaster on medium for 3 to 4 minutes, or on a rack in a 375 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes for a crowd. Both restore the crisp edges.

My waffles keep sticking to the iron. What is wrong?

The iron was not fully hot, or it needed fat. Preheat until the ready light cycles, brush the plates lightly with melted butter before the first waffle and as needed after, and resist opening the lid early, since a half set waffle tears and leaves half of itself behind.

Can I use regular molasses, or a milder substitute?

Use unsulphured molasses, the standard baking kind, for the deep color and clean flavor here. Blackstrap is stronger and noticeably bitter, so swap in only half and make up the rest with dark brown sugar dissolved in a spoonful of warm milk if blackstrap is what you have.

Gingerbread Waffles With Orange Maple Butter

Ingredients

Scale

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (300 grams)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 3/4 cups buttermilk, well shaken
1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
2 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the iron
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
For the orange maple butter: 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 pinch flaky salt

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Instructions

Heat the oven to 200 degrees with a wire rack on a baking sheet inside. Preheat the waffle iron to medium high.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices and brown sugar in a large bowl until evenly distributed.
In a second bowl, whisk the egg yolks, buttermilk, molasses, melted butter, vanilla and orange zest until smooth and dark.
Beat the egg whites in a clean dry bowl until they hold soft peaks, about 2 minutes.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry and stir just until the flour disappears; a few small lumps are fine. Rest the batter 5 minutes.
Fold in the beaten whites in two additions until no white streaks remain.
Brush the hot iron lightly with melted butter. Add about 2/3 cup of batter per waffle, spread gently and close the lid.
Cook until the steam slows to a wisp, 4 to 5 minutes, deep mahogany and crisp. Do not open the iron early.
Move each finished waffle to the wire rack in the warm oven in a single layer, never stacked. Repeat with the remaining batter.
Stir the softened butter, maple syrup, orange zest and flaky salt together and serve the waffles hot with the orange maple butter.

Author: Chef Rita
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1
Calories: 340
Sugar: 24
Sodium: 480
Fat: 11
Saturated Fat: 6
Unsaturated Fat: 5
Trans Fat: 0
Carbohydrates: 55
Fiber: 1
Protein: 7
Cholesterol: 70